Mean
by Slushieofthedesert
Summary: Rachel is finally pushed over the edge by New Directions' bitterness.


I do not own the characters from Glee or Taylor Swift's Mean

* * *

Rachel Berry was a star. At least, that's what she told herself every day and her dads told her whenever they could. And she was positive that Broadway would be calling her name in the near future, but for now she had to deal with the one thing she both loved and hated, the glee club. Don't get me wrong, Rachel LIVED for glee club, but Mr. Shuester's refusal to let her unleash her talent at every possible opportunity bugged her to no end, not to mention the horrible way that her fellow glee clubbers treated her. But Rachel Barbra Berry wasn't going to let some jealous peers get in the way of her eminent stardom, which is why she had upped her myspace video output to two a day and set her alarm thirty minutes earlier as to allot extra time to her morning exercise routine. After all, you can't get to where you want to go without hard work and practice.

She woke up one particular morning feeling especially talented. She went through her morning routine with an ever present smile on her face and all the while humming some of her favorite showtunes. She quickly ate her vegan pancakes that her dads prepared for her and after kissing them both goodbye, walked swiftly to school.

When she arrived there, she first went to the chorus room to do a daily warm up routine to keep her vocal chords limber. As she walked through the door, she was surprised to find all of New Directions waiting there for her. With confusion evident on her face, Rachel greeted her peers.

"Good Morning everyone, what are you doing here?" Rachel asked cheerfully.  
"Wipe that smile off your face, RuPaul, we're tired of it" Quinn snapped.  
"Don't forget" Santana added, "your clothes"  
"Your hair"  
"Your face"  
"Your voice"  
"Your crazy"  
"Your bossiness"  
"Your arrogance"  
"Your ego"  
"Your troll family"

Everyone turned to look at Brittany with strange expressions on their faces. Brittany shrugged and replied "What? San said it first". Everyone sighed and turned back to their victim, who looked taken aback and was fighting off tears. Mercedes then stepped forward and spoke next.

"I know we've been closer these past few weeks, but I am tired of you thinking you are better than everyone else and getting all the solos that I deserve" she spat, "and FYI, I was only pretending to like you for Kurt's sake, for some reason, he likes you."Rachel stared in awe at her peers, go had worked themselves into a circle surrounding her. She swallowed her tears and opened her mouth to speak.  
"That doesn't answer why you are here." she pointed out.  
"We are here to teach you a lesson Manhands" Quinn hissed, pulling a slushie from behind her back.

In horror, Rachel looked around to see that all the others had pulled one out as well. She shut her eyes as they brutally slushied her all at once. Turning around to run out of the room, she was stopped by Finn and Puck, who grabbed her by the arms and carried her out front to the dumpster and threw her in. Rachel watched her tormentors walk away before breaking down into sobs.

* * *

Rachel walked through her front door a couple hours later. She was too humiliated to go back inside the school. Her dads weren't home, so she first went and cleaned herself off. When she returned to her room she picked up her phone and called the only ally she had left.  
"Hello?"  
"Kurt?"  
"Rachel? Why are you calling me at 10:30 in the morning?"  
"Kurt, they slushied me, all of them..."  
"I'll be there in an hour."

So an hour and a half later, Kurt and Rachel were sitting at an ice cream parlor, talking about that morning's disaster.  
"She said she was pretending" Kurt asked in disbelief, "the nerve!"  
"Yeah..." Rachel whispered, "I don't know what possessed them to do it days before Regionals, it's like they wanted to sabotage themselves."  
"Then you'll have to show them that they can't make it without you" Kurt said sassily.  
"But how?" Rachel asked.  
"You are Rachel Barbra Berry, you will figure something out" Kurt replied.

The car ride back to Rachel's house was spent plotting ways to exact revenge on New Directions, but the two couldn't think of anything reasonable, or legal, to do.  
When they reached the Berry household, Rachel checked her mail and flipped  
through it quickly. She stopped on a yellow envelope, and with her eyes wide, ripped it open. Her eyes scanned the page and she broke out into a grin and squealed.  
"Yes! This is it!" she screamed.  
"What is?" Kurt asked.

"I got accepted into the Ohio School of the Arts!" Rachel smiled, "This is my revenge! If I transfer now, New Directions can't perform at Regionals!"  
"Good plan, but it needs some oomph" Kurt suggested, "you need to show them your talent, rub it in their faces"

At that moment their attention was turned to the radio in Kurt's car, which had begun to play Taylor Swift's Mean. Kurt and Rachel looked at eachother, mischievous looks on their faces.

* * *

"Ms. Berry, I am sorry to hear that you are leaving McKinley", an older man of Indian descent addressed Rachel.  
"I am sorry to be leaving Principal Figgins" Rachel replied sweetly, "I want to leave in style, so I want to ask a favor..."

The next afternoon all of William McKinley High School was gathered into the auditorium for the monthly assembly. As Principal Figgins was going over urgent announcements, Rachel was backstage on the phone with Kurt.  
"Well, here goes" Rachel nervously said.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine." Kurt reassured her, "Show those traitors what they'll be missing".  
"I will" Rachel replied,"And congrats on your shoe in at Regionals"  
"Why thank you" Kurt chuckled, "Break a leg".  
"Thank you Kurt, goodbye"

Rachel hung up as Principal Figgins began to introduce her.  
"And now, at the request of a miss Rachel Berry, she has an announcement for you all"  
Rachel walked across the stage, ignoring the boos and hisses of the student body, reaching into the mic, she took a deep breath and let it all out.

"Umm...Hello WMHS, Um, I would like to take the chance to announce that I have been accepted into the Ohio School of the Arts, and therefore am giving my formal resignation from New Directions. And to go out in style, I would like to perform a song for you. And to my fellow Glee Clubbers, I would like to say I'm sorry for leaving you the day before Regionals, and therefore unable to perform."

Rachel noticed the dropped jaws of New Directions sitting in the front row of the auditorium. She reached down and picked up the guitar at her feet and started to play.

_You, with your words like knives and swords and weapons that you use against me_

Rachel looked directly at Quinn as she sang this, causing the cheerleader to avert her gaze._  
You have knocked me off my feet again got me feeling like I'm nothing_

As she sang this line, she glared at Finn, who still had a dopey look of confusing gracing his features._  
You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard, calling me out when I'm wounded_

That line had a scathing look reserved for Santana, whose bitchy exterior was gone in a rare event._  
You, pickin' on the weaker man_

Rachel was looking at Puck with tears threating to spill from her eyes, and she saw a unusual emotion reflected in his eyes…..regret perhaps?

_Well, you can take me down with just one single blow_

She glanced at Mr. Shuester as she sang this, revealing her hurt at his favoritism against her. _  
But you don't know what you don't know_

She took a deep breath as she prepared to unleash her message to the group._  
Someday I'll be living in a big old city  
And all you're ever gonna be is mean  
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me  
And all you're ever gonna be is mean_

_Why you gotta be so mean?_

She smiled at her boldness and bitchy move. She turned and faced New Directions again to begin the next verse._  
You, with your switching sides and your walk-by lies and your humiliation_

She nodded to Mercedes, referring to her recent lies about being her friend. _  
You, have pointed out my flaws again as if I don't already see them_

She stared at Artie and Mike Chang, who were trying to avoid her stares._  
I'll walk with my head down trying to block you out 'cause I'll never impress you  
I just wanna feel okay again_

She motioned to the entire student body, attempting to get her point across about how theyt made her feel. _  
I'll bet you got pushed around, somebody made you cold  
But the cycle ends right now 'cause you can't lead me down that road_

Rachel looked out at Sam Evans and Lauren Zizes, the members of New Directions that she had the least contact with because she was truly surprised at how they had treated her. _  
And you don't know what you don't know  
Someday I'll be living in a big old city  
And all you're ever gonna be is mean  
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me  
And all you're ever gonna be is mean  
Why you gotta be so mean?_

She sang the chorus again, gaining her confidence back and beginning to enjoy her call-out. _  
And I can see you years from now in a bar, talking over a football game_

She aimed that remark at the guys of the group, who were mostly on the football team._  
With that same big loud opinion but nobody's listening_

She gave a pointed stare at the girls, who she knew were just as opinionated as she could be._  
Washed up and ranting about the same old bitter things  
Drunk and grumbling on about how I can't sing_

She looked at the entire group as she began to finish off the song.

_But all you are is mean_

At this point she began pointing out to individual members of New Directions._  
All you are is mean _

Finn

_and a liar _

Mercedes

_and pathetic _

Quinn

_and alone in life_

Santana_  
And mean, and mean, and mean, and mean_

Tina, Puck, Artie, Brittany_  
But someday I'll be living in a big old city  
And all you're ever gonna be is mean, yeah  
Someday, I'll be big enough so you can't hit me  
And all you're ever gonna be is mean  
Why you gotta be so mean?  
Someday, I'll be, living in a big old city  
And all you're ever gonna be is mean  
Someday, I'll be big enough so you can't hit me  
And all you're ever gonna be is mean  
Why you gotta be so mean?__  
_As the last chord played out, Rachel looked out into the stunned crowd, smirked and walked of the stage for the last time.


End file.
